The Rec Report – November, 2013
Greetings!
Our November edition of The Rec Report is chock-full of a variety of fall flavors, from our Pickleball Classic, to our annual Food & Clothing Drive, to the “brain food” of our new I-Maths educational program! Plus, we’ll look ahead to a holiday buffet of tree lightings, lighted parades and more! We invite your feedback and welcome your input on our Facebook page, our Twitter feed or by calling the Parks & Recreation Office at 281.412.8900.
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Holiday Pickleball Classic: It’s “crunch” time at the RCN! Pearland Parks & Recreation will host its first annual Holiday Pickleball Classic on Friday, December 20 to Saturday, December 21 at the Recreation Center & Natatorium! Pickleball is a relatively new sport, but one that is rapidly catching fire around the United States and around the world. It’s estimated by the United States Pickleball Association that this sport, which appeals to all ages and skill levels, has more than 100,000 active players in the U.S., and Pearland is rapidly becoming a hot spot for this spicy sport.
The Pickleball Classic has a $25 entry fee per team. Teams consist of two players, ages 16 and up. Each tournament participant will receive a commemorative gift to celebrate the event. Registration begins Monday, November 11, with a final registration deadline of Tuesday, December 17. This is a first-come, first-served event, and it is projected that this event will fill all divisions quickly, so don’t wait until the last minute and be left with a sour taste!
The 6 tournament divisions are as follows: (Recreational) Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles; (Competitive) Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles. 3 matches are guaranteed per team. This is a community event and, as such, is a non-sanctioned tournament. For more information on the Holiday Pickleball Classic or to register a team, please contact Kendrick Gray, Recreation Specialist, at 281.412.8915.
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Donate to the 4th Annual RCN Food and Clothing Drive: This Fall, help those in our community who need help the most. For every 5 non-perishable food items or 1 gently-used jacket blanket or sweatshirt donated at the kiosk at the RCN, you can receive 1 guest pass and be entered to win a 1-month free membership. Donations will be accepted through November 17 and will benefit the Pearland Neighborhood Center.
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Voice Your Opinion – Help Us Name Our Park: Make your voice heard, and you might have the honor of naming the new City of Pearland Sports Complex! Phase One of this project, currently known as the “Max Road Sports Complex,” is slated for completion in late 2014. The City of Pearland invites you to submit your suggestion for naming this new complex, which will quickly become one of our City’s centerpieces for sports and recreation. You can be as creative as you like, however all suggestions should include “Sports Complex” as a part of the name.
The naming contest will run from July 1 to December 9. The final call for suggestions will occur at the Hometown Christmas Festival on December 6-7. After that time, all suggested names will be reviewed by City of Pearland and Pearland Parks & Recreation administration. The final name for the complex will be revealed in Spring of 2014. The person who submits the winning name will be invited as the Guest of Honor at the official ribbon-cutting for the complex in late 2014 and will receive a special commendation from the City of Pearland and the Office of the Mayor! Enter by sending us an email, a Tweet, or via a Facebook message!
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Register Now for Pearland’s Toys 4 Softball Tournament: Pearland Parks & Recreation is proud to present our 8th Annual Toys 4 Softball Tournament, to be held on December 14 and 15. Toys 4 Softball is an adult double-elimination softball tournament for men’s team and co-ed teams, played at the Centennial Park softball fields on McLean Road. The registration fee is $150 per team, plus an additional unopened $10 toy (or cash equivalent) per player. All donations will benefit the Pearland Neighborhood Center. All donating players will receive a long-sleeve commemorative tournament shirt.
Registration for the Toys 4 Softball Tournament begins October 1 and concludes on December 11. All payments are due at the field on the day of the tournament. For more information or to register, please contact Chris Warnick, Assistant Athletics Coordinator, by calling 281.412.8905. Tournament sponsored by: A1 Best Movers, Schlotzky’s andUniversity of Houston-Clear Lake Pearland Campus.
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Great Math Skills Add up with the NEW I-Maths Program: Pearland Parks & Recreation is pleased to announce a new educational program coming in Winter/Spring 2014! The I-Maths (Intelligent Mathematics) program is a revolutionary early learning program that consciously shifts the focus from providing children mere arithmetic or ‘number’ skills to including many essential mathematical concepts and skills such as observation, logical thinking, reasoning, analysis, synthesis, and so on as a part of the syllabus. The I-Maths program focuses on making math fun for your child while making “thinking” a natural extension of the learning process.
Children who participate in I-Maths training emerge as well-rounded students, equipped with not only strong mathematical concepts and procedural knowledge, but also the application of learned skills. For more information on this new program, please attend the free I-Maths workshop to be held on Tuesday, November 12 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the RCN, or visit the Intelligent Math website.
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Winter/Spring Recreational Youth Basketball Leagues: Pearland Parks & Recreation invites all youth basketball players to sign up for our Winter/Spring Recreational Youth Basketball Leagues. The league, for boys and girls ages 7 to 14, is designed to teach teamwork, to communicate the fundamentals of basketball, and to better prepare players for future basketball teams. All players will receive a basketball jersey and individual awards. The season consists of one practice per week with a 7-week game schedule and a single-elimination playoff for the top 4 teams in each division (with the exception of the 8 & Under division). Registration is now open and concludes November 8. The cost of the program is $90 for residents and $120 for non-residents. Games are played on Saturday mornings or afternoons. For more information, please see our Youth Athletics page.
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Learn Line Dancing from the “Line Dance Queen”: The Westside Event Center is currently offering ongoing line dancing classes, conducted by Ms. Cheryl Williams, Pearland’s “Line Dance Queen!” Classes are held on Thursday evenings, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. This fun-filled class is available for both adults and teens and is a great way to enjoy a fantastic workout. The classed is offered for all, regardless of skill level, so come and join the fun! For more information, please call 713.253.2610 or visit the Line Dance Queen website.
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Hometown Christmas Festival Returns to Pearland: One of the City of Pearland’s signature events, the Hometown Christmas Festival, will make its return to Pearland on Friday, December 6 through Saturday, December 7. The event will be held at Pearland Town Center, located at 11200 Broadway, and is a free event for the community.
Feel the Christmas spirit come alive as Pearland Parks & Recreation unites with Pearland Town Center to host the City’s annual Christmas celebration! Join us for an exciting weekend of Christmas entertainment, the joyous sounds of holiday music, fun in the snow, the arrival of Santa Claus and the celebratory lighting of our gorgeous 30-foot tall Christmas tree!
The festivities kick off on Friday evening at 7 p.m. as Pearland’s Mayor Tom Reid and Jolly ol’ Saint Nick lead the City’s Tree Lighting Ceremony. The festival continues into the weekend with a variety of holiday programming. This year’s event will feature the return of hometown favorites such as the holiday gift market, horse-drawn carriage rides, strolling entertainment, a Winter Wonderland play area for children, Santa’s arrival and the Tree Lighting. On Saturday, enjoy Breakfast with Santa and seasonal shopping in the holiday gift market. The weekend festival concludes with the Lighted Christmas Parade at 6 p.m. on its traditional route FM 518 from Pearland Parkway to Old Alvin Road.
For more information and a complete schedule of events for the Hometown Christmas Festival, please contact Pearland Parks & Recreation at 281.412.8900 or visit our Special Events page.
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Recreation Center & Natatorium Announcements: The Recreation Center & Natatorium will change its procedure for member and guest access through the bypass doors, located in the atrium between the Recreation Center and the Natatorium, beginning on November 1. As of that date, the doors will switch to a locked entry point, requiring a key fob for entry. Guests may request a key fob from the kiosk for a $3 deposit. For questions regarding this change, please contact Heather Smith, Recreation Center & Natatorium Manager, at 281.412.8900.
The Recreation Center will be closed for its annual maintenance and cleaning period during the period of Monday, December 9 to Thursday, December 12. The Natatorium will remain open during this time.
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Celebrate the Season in Pearland’s Lighted Christmas Parade: Come and join the City of Pearland as we welcome the Christmas season to our area with the 32nd Annual Lighted Christmas Parade! The event will be held on Saturday, December 7 beginning at 6 p.m. The parade brings out dozens of floats, lighted vehicles and walking groups each year, all decked out in lights and holiday spirit! With this year’s theme, “A Rock’n Christmas,’ parade-watchers can expect to see a multitude of fun entries, drill teams, classic cars, company floats and many other groups from around our community! The parade will travel its traditional route west on FM 518, beginning at Pearland Parkway and ending at Old Alvin Road.
To help us rock and ring in the season, Pearland Parks & Recreation invites YOU to join us as a participant in the parade! Entries can be from businesses, non-profit organizations, families, individuals- you name it! Entries are only $10 per float/group. If you would like to host a float in the Lighted Christmas Parade, please contact Angelica Smith, Special Events Coordinator, at 281.412.8907.